Shuttle for narrow ware loom



Dec. 29, 1959 A. CEDERLUND ET AL 2,918,947

SHUTTLE FOR NARROW WARE LOOM Filed June 24, 1957 INVENTORS ALBERT OEDERLUND KENNETH J. HALL @MIM ATTORNEY United S at Pa assignors to Crom'pton Knowles Corporation, Worcester, 'Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 24, 1957, Serial No. 667,425 reclai s. (or. 139-199 This invention relates to narrow ware 'loom's and particularly t'o shuttles employed in that type of loom and it is the general object of the invention to provide each shuttle with a weft detectorwhich will initiate a change in loom operation, such as loom stopping, upon failure of the weft to be properly laid in the shed due to its absence, breakage or slackness.

"Narrow ware looms, as" is well known in the art, employ a series of shuttles each of which during loom operation inoves lengthwise or laterallywith respect to the lay from left to right from one shuttle block through a Warp shed into another shuttle block while the lay is in its backward stroke. As the lay moves forwardly to beat up the weft laid'by each shuttle, the latter remains in one or another of the shuttle blocks and when the lay again moves rearwardly, the shuttles move from right to left. During forward movement of the lay and while the vshuttles are in theshuttle blocks, the weft detector will coact with means to initiate stopping of the loom provided the weftis absent, broken or slack; "However,

if the weft is intact the weft detector will be deflected laterally from theweft from its normal forwardly extended position to miss the means and stopping of the loom thereby win be avoided. i

" Inthe past attempts have been made to apply a Weft detector extending firmly forwardly'from the bow; of the shuttle in the form of a coil spring or otherresilient shuttle moves from left to right andvice versa, the detector is deflected" laterally by the weft, in known manner, from its normal toan abnormal position to prevent initiation of loom stoppage while the Weft is intact. This continual deflection during loom operation coupled with radial deflections due to loom vibration and movement of the shuttle not only ruptures the detector causing short life thereto, but also causes the latter to lose some of its firm resiliency with resultant sagging thereof, and upon failure of Weftfthe detector'will not beproperly aligned" to co-act with the initiating means for stopping the loom. Such .a detector as described above and frictionally held means to initiate loom stoppage are shown, for instance, in Patent 2,650,625 issued to G. D. Johnson. It is therefore an important object of the present invention to overcome the defects above'described by providing the loom with a pivotal rigid'weft detector finger guided and substantially supported by means on the bow of the shuttle in a manner to permit only lateral movement of the finger 'by the weft from a central normal or loom knockoff position to an abnormal nonstopping positionon either side of said normal position when the weft is intact.

Another object of the invention is to provide resilient means to co-act with the detector finger to pivot or swing r I 2,918,947 v Patented Dec. 29, 1959 t 2 said finger from any abnormal to normal position upon breakage, absence or loss of weft tension.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pair of spaced plates, one above the other, having therebetween a space member held in fixed relationship to said plates by fastening means such that the edge surfaces of said space member are spaced from the edge surfaces of said plates to define a groove to receive and maintain the above-mentioned resilient means in holding relationship with the edge surface of said member.

Still another object of the invention is to make part of said' space member with a concave arcuate surface concentric with the pivot axis of the detector finger to define a socket to receive and have pivotal connection with a complementary convex arcuate'surface on one end of said finger.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pivot s't'ud having an axis around which the weft detector finger partially swings laterally back and forth and having its ends fixed to said plates, said'stud passing through a hole in the finger and having a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the hole.

It is a further object of the invention to provide the weft detector finger with a pair of integral arms bent toward each other to clamp a Weft delivery eyelet thereto, said arms having a surface forward of the eyelet to cooperate with the means which initiates a change in loom operation. g

A further object of the invention is to make the weft detector finger, the pivot stud, the spaced plates, the space member and the resilient means applicable as'a unit to the bow of the shuttle, and to .provide means to fasten said unit to said shuttle.

A still further object of the invention is to make the bow of the shuttle with a slot to receive part of the unit therein, said slot having terminal concave sides to abut portions of convex surfaces on the unit so that. resistance to movement of the initiating means, due to frictional forces holding the latter, will be transmitted through the finger and unit to the bow via said concave sides when the finger engages and moves the initiating means. I

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds and in order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is made to the accompanying drawing which illustrates by way of example an embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a shuttle partly broken away and partly in section and having the invention applied thereto,

I .Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section on line 22, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 33, Fig. 2, showing the weft detector finger in contact with means to initiate stopping of the loom, I

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-'-4, Fig. 3, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are, diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of the invention.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and2, the shuttle S has a base 1, a bow 2 forward of the base, and a weft compartment 3 in which a weft quill or bobbin 4 is rotatably mounted on a Wire 5. The shuttle is provided with ring'eyelets 6 and 7 mounted on springs 8 and may also have a ring eyelet 9 which can slide along a wire 11 fast with respect to the bow of the shuttle. A brake 12 bears against the Weft W to prevent over-running of the quill during loom operation. A weft detector unit generally indicated 'at' U is fixed to the bow of the shuttle, said bow havinga stationary weft delivery eyelet 13 thereon substantially "in alignment with a second weft delivery 3 eyelet 14 mounted on unit U and through which the weft W passes.

The matter thus far described, except for the bow and the weft detector unit is of usual construction and operates in the usual manner.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the unit U comprises an upper fiat oval-shaped plate 15 and a lower flat ovalshaped plate 16 maintained in spaced relationship to each other by a space member 17. Upper plate 15 has forward and rear convex edge surfaces 18 and 19 respectively and lower plate 16 has similar forward and rear convex edge surfaces 21 and 22 respectively. Plates 15 and 16 are placed one above the other so that the convex edge surfaces 18 and 21 and 19 and 22 coincide with each other respectively, said surfaces terminating in a point such that a vertical plane passing through said points will also pass through the axis of a pivot stud 23 around which a weft detector finger D partially swings laterally from a central normal or knockoff position as shown, for instance, in Figs. and 6. Plates and 16 extend forwardly of the bow and may be considered as means to support the weft detector finger D. A more detailed description of the weft detector finger D will appear hereinafter.

Member 17 has a rear convex edge surface 24 similar to rear surfaces 19 and 22 and also has forward concave edge surfaces 25 and 26 terminating at a concave edge surface 27 which forms a socket 28, see Figs. 5 and 6, to receive one end 29 of said weft detector finger. Space member 17 is placed between plates 15 and 16 such that surfaces 25 and 26 are to the right of the axis of stud 23, see Fig. 3, and surface 24 falls within the surfaces 19 and 22 to form a groove 31, see Fig. 2, to receive resilient means in the form of a single extended wire spring 32 which closely fits the greater part of the periphery of member 17. Spring 32 is trained around edges 24, 25 and 26 to hold itself thereto and has two ends 33 and 34 which fall short of each other and which contact said end 29 of the weft detector finger. The particular relationship of surfaces 2 2-, 25 and 26 and groove 31 with respect to plates 15 and 16, as set forth above, is not essential to the successful operation of the invention but merely illustrates one way in which the resilient means may be mounted to the unit U.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the weft detector finger D is mounted between plates 15 and 16 and is substantially flat throughout the greater part of its length. End 29, above referred to, is formed with a pair of shoulders 30 and a convex surface 33a which complements surface 27 and has pivotal connection therewith. Surfaces 27 and 33;; are concentric with the axis of the pivot of the detector finger but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this feature in that surfaces 27 and 33a may be other than concentric. One end of finger D has a pair of integral arms 34a, see Fig. 4, which clamp in holding relationship thereto weft delivery evelet 14, said arms forming a circle around eyelet 14 and having a surface 35 forward of the eyelet to contact, upon weft failure, means such as a contact bar 35 to move the latter forwardly to initiate a change in loom operation, for example, loom stoppage. Operation of contact bar 36 is set forth in the above-mentioned patent to Johnson and as shown herein is illustrative of only one means in which the present invention can be utilized.

A hole 37 between end 29 and arms 34a extends through finger D and receives pivot stud 23 which passes through finger D and has one end fixed to plate 15 and the other end to plate 16. The diameter of hole 37 is slightly larger than the diameter of pin 23 which not only prevents excessive forward motion of the finger during loom operation but also maintains the various parts of the unit together upon assembly and which may be considered as means for the retention of finger D on the unit.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the bow 2 is provided with a substantially horizontal through slot 38 to receive the unit U which is fastened to the shuttle by means including a pair of pins 39 and 41. Slot 38 terminates in concave sides 42 and 43 which converge toward each other as can best be seen in Fig. 3 to form a pocket to receive therein the unit U and against which a portion of surfaces 19 and 22 abut. Bow 2 is also provided with a hole 44 in which eyelet 13 is held fast. 7

In operation, the weft W extends forwardly from quill 4 and passes through the various eyelets, above described, to the usual fabric selvage (not shown). As the lay moves back and forth during loom operation each shuttle will move lengthwise, with respect to the lay, from one shuttle block to another and back again. The shuttle blocks and lay are not shown but are well known in the art. Fig. 5 shows a shuttle moving to the left in the direction of arrow :1 and during this movement weft detector finger D will have a movement in the opposite direction provided the weft is intact and held fast to the selvage. Similarly, when the shuttle moves to the right in the direction of arrow 12,- Fig. 6, the finger will be moved to the left by the weft. Thus,as the shuttle moves from left to right and vice versa through the usual warp shed (not shown) the finger will assume abnormal positions to avoid contacting bar 36. However, when the weft fails due to breakage, slackness or exhaustion, the finger will assume its central normal or knockoff position, as shown in Fig. 3, to contact bar 36 and thereupon move the latter instantly forwardly while the lay is also moving forwardly and the shuttle is in a shuttle block. When the weft fails, the finger will swing to knockoff position due to the pressure exerted on one of the shoulders 30 by one or another of the ends 33 and 34 of the spring wire 32.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention sets forth simple means in which initiation for a change in loom operation may be promptly efiected because of and by a rigid 'weft detector finger upon failure of weft. As illustrated in the drawing, the finger is substantially supported and guided during its lateral movements and when it is in either its normal or abnormal positions. The invention also sets forth a weft detector unit of simple but durable construction able to withstand repeated contacts with bar 36, the un t being easily assembled and applied to the bow and held stationary thereto by fastening means, as shown for instance in Fig. 1. Moreover, the bow of the shuttle has a slot to receive the unit, and terminal concave sides forming the slot to about convex surfaces on the unit in order that the bow of the shuttle can absorb impact forces when the detector finger engages bar 36. Also, it will be noted that although pin 23 pa ses through a hole in the finger D, these forces are capable of passing through the finger to the bow to move bar 36 without passing through pin 23 because of the fact that the diameter of holes 37 is larger than the diameter of the pin, and thus it is that fracture to or shearing of the pin is avoided when the finger contacts bar 36 upon weft failure. 7

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

1. In a narrow ware shuttle having a Weft compartment and a bobbin therein, a bow forward of said compartment provided with a substantially horizontal slot terminating in concave sides converging towardeach other and a stationary weft eyelet spaced fromsaid slot and having a thread passage communicating with said compartment, a weft detector unit in said slot and having convex surfaces, portions of which abut said concave sides, a rigid weft detector finger pivotally mounted on said unit and movable with respect to the latter laterally on each side of and from a normal to an abnormal position by the weft during weaving operations, means on said unit passing through said finger and capable of retaining the latter on said unit, a weft delivery eyelet mounted on said finger and remote from said bow and having a weft passage therethrough for a thread leading from the compartment through said first passage, and means holding said unit stationary in said slot.

2. The shuttle set forth in claim 1 wherein the finger has two integral arms which are bent in a circle toward each other to receive and clamp the weft delivery eyelet to the finger.

3. The shuttle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the unit includes a pair of spaced plates, one above the other, a space member between said plates to maintain the latter spaced with the detector finger between said plates and wherein one end of the detector extends beyond said plates and the other end thereof has contact with a part of said space member, and wherein resilient means moves said finger from an abnormal to a normal position, and wherein the retaining means includes a stud held to said spaced plates, and wherein the holding means consists of a pair of pins passing through said plates and said space member into said bow to hold said unit to said bow.

4. The shuttle set forth in claim 3 wherein said plates are interchangeable and have a pair of convex edge surfaces terminating in a pair of points such that a vertical plane passing through said points will pass through the axis of said stud.

5. The shuttle set forth in claim 3 wherein said space member has edge surfaces spaced inwardly from the edge surfaces of said plates to define a groove to receive said resilient means.

6. The resilient means as set forth in claim 3 being a spring wire trained around the edge surfaces of said member and between said plates and having its ends iall short of each other to contact said finger.

7. The shuttle as set forth in claim 3 wherein said part of the space member is a concave arcuate surface within said member concentric with the pivot of the detector finger and defines a socket for said other end of said finger.

8. The shuttle as set forth in claim 7 wherein said finger is substantially flat throughout the greater part of its length, and said other end thereof is concentric with the pivot thereof and snugly fits said socket.

9. In a narrow ware shuttle having a weft compartment and a bow, a stationary weft detector unit on said bow and having a rigid detector finger movable with respect to said unit and capable of assuming a central normal position or laterally displaced abnormal positions on each side of said normal position, means on said unit extending forwardly of said bow to support and guide said finger when the latter is moving to or is in any of said positions, and means mounted on said unit capable of holding itself thereto to hold said finger either in normal position or move said finger from-abnormal to normal position, depending on which position the finger is in when absence, breakage, or loss of tension of weft occurs.

10. The shuttle set forth in claim 9 wherein the first named means is a pair of vertically spaced, oval-shaped plates between which the said detector finger swings laterally from the normal to an abnormal position on either side of said normal position, said plates confining therebetween a substantial portion of said finger to prevent the latter from moving vertically with respect to said plates when said finger is in any of said positions.

11. The shuttle set forth in claim 9 wherein the second means is a single extended wire spring carried by said unit and having flexible ends acting on said finger tending to move the latter to its normal position, only one of said ends being flexed when said finger moves from normal to abnormal position and back again.

12. In a narrow ware shuttle having a weft detector finger pivotally mounted thereon and having one end thereof engageable with means to initiate loom stoppage, a pair of integral arms on said finger forming a circle at said one end to receive therein, in clamping relationship thereto, a weft delivery eyelet, and a surface defined by said circle to contact said means upon failure of weft, said surface being forward of said eyelet to prevent contact of said eyelet with said means.

13. In a narrow ware loom having contact means movable forwardly to initiate loom stoppage in the event of weft failure, a shuttle having a weft compartment and a bow forward thereof having a slot therein, the sides of which are concave, a weft detector unit substantially within said slot and including a fiat rigid weft detector finger engageable with said contact means upon weft failure and including supporting guide plates for said finger and formed with edge surfaces, portions of which lie within said slot to complementarily abut said concave sides in fixed relationship thereto, said finger being mounted on and between said guide plates to cause instant forward movement of said contact means upon engagement thereof by said finger due to its rigidity to promptly initiate loom stoppage upon failure of weft, and said unit being fixed relative to said slot and capable of transmitting impact forces to said concave sides when the finger engages and moves said means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,411,639 Maloney Apr. 4, 1922 2,650,624 Waterhouse Sept. 1, 1953 2,781,795 Turner Feb. 19, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,000,953 France Oct. 17, 1951 

